After a season packed with significant architecture news, Melbourne has announced the opening of the 2018 MPavilion designed by Carme Pinós. The pavilion is widely considered to be the southern hemisphere’s answer to the Serpentine Pavilion, and has featured designers such as Rem Koolhaas, Bijoy Jain, and Amanda Levete.

This year’s design, from Spanish architect Carme Pinós, takes its inspiration from origami, with wings opening out to welcome the city into the pavilion itself. The roof, made of two distinct halves, is perched upon three mounds incorporating public seating.

Pinós explained: “In designing this year’s MPavilion, I wanted firstly to make a space for the people of Melbourne to feel connected to each other, to the city they live in, and to nature. We are all part of the world, and architecture can tell that story and provide a place for us to experience life together. I hope the MPavilion becomes a flow of knowledge and creativity this summer.”

“Working with Carme to bring her inspiring MPavilion design to life has been an absolute pleasure," said Naomi Milgrom, chair of the Naomi Milgrom foundation and commissioner for the MPavilion 2018. "Carme’s vision opens Australia to conversation about how to make our cities more inclusive through design. It’s a privilege to commission a work with such international and future thinking insight.”

MPavilion 2018 is the fifth edition of the annual summer program, and is supported by the City of Melbourne, Victorian State Government through Creative Victoria and ANZ. Previous pavilions were design by Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten of OMA (2017), Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai (2016) and Amanda Levete (2015.)